Molding apparatus.



A. HAMEL.

MOLDING APPARATUSr APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1a, mu.

1,1 38,558, Patented May 4, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 50-. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTUN. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFiuoE.

'ADOLOR HAMEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE 'lO WALTER W. FULTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOLDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLoR HAMEL, a citi- Zen of the United States of'America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new'and useful Improvement in Molding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for molding cement or concrete structures or articles.

It relates moreparticularly to apparatus of this kind for making columns or uprights in a building.

Prior to my invention it was quite common to employ stove bolts or similar fastening devices for securing together the different sections of the sheet iron molds employed, for example, in making the cement or concrete columns of a building- This method, however, has been found to be rather expensive, as it will very often require some time for a workman to adjust all the bolts in place. This is especially true after the bolts have become rusty. Another objection is a tendency of the sheet iron. to spread or open up between the bolts, unless the latter are placed very close together, or unless the sheet iron is very thick, neither one of which is liable to be the case in actual practice.

My invention contemplates, therefore, a

molding apparatus for this general class of work, in which the sections. of the mold have their meeting edges provided externally with grooves or channels extending longitua dinally of the mold, and in which the means "for holding the said sections together consist of clamps provided with elongated jaws that fit within and extend along the said grooves or channels, whereby the mold can be very readily and very quickly set up or taken apart, and whereby the sheet metal, when the mold is set up and filled, does not tend to spread or open up at the seams formed where the edges of the sections are held tightly together, as will hereinafter more fully appear. I

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mold and clamps comprised in a molding apparatus embodying the principles of my invention, the same being shown set up and arranged in position for forming a column, and it being understood that for convenience of illustration only arfew of the requisite number of clamps are shown adjusted in position to hold the sections of the mold together. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the said clamps, showing a fragment of the mold. Fig. 3 is a view looking down upon the devices shown in Fig. 2.

As thus illustrated, the mold A is hexagonal in cross-section, being composed ofv two vertical sections or complemental halves a and a, each section or half being provided at its vertical edges with flanges a that have their outer edges formedwith bent or outturned portions a as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, whereby the said flanges are in effect provided externally with channels or grooves extendinglongitudinally thereof. The inner surfaces of said flanges bear flatwise upon each other, when the two sections or halves are in position, wherebythe interior of the mold is effectively sealed .at'the sides thereof. The clamps B, which are applied to said flanges, are all alike and the description of one will be sufficient. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, therefore, it will be seen that the clamp B comprises a pair of elongated jaws b which are adapted to fit in the channels or grooves of said flanges to clamp the latter tightly together. The two jaws are connected by a bolt 6' having a thumb-nut 5 said boltjbeing located close to said jaws. For this purpose the jaws are provided with shanks or arms 6 and 6 which extend at right-angles to. the jaws and for some distance beyond the said bolts by which the jaws are, connected. At its outer end the shank or arm 6 issprovided with a cam having a handle -b which cam is adapted to operatively engage the shank or arm 6 beingpivoted by a screw or bolt 12 inserted through the outer end of the shank or arm 6 which latter, it will be seen by reference to the drawings, is bifurcated to receive the said cam. By operating this cam the jaws can be made to grip or release the flanges of In practice, employed as are necessary to hold the two sections of the mold together. If the sheet metal is quite thin, the said clamps will necessarily have to be arranged quite closely together to prevent the cement or concrete from forcing the tween the clamps. WVith a thicker metal the sections of the mold can be effectively held together with a less number of clampsthat is to say, without arranging the latter so close together. With this arrangement the mold for even a very large column can be set up and adjusted in place very quickly, and then as easily taken apart.

The clamps can be made of any suitable material, such as metal or wood, and they can be made of different lengths. For some kinds of work it is possible that a single clamp at each side of the mold will be sufficient. In other cases several clamps will be necessary at each side of the mold. The clamps shown have perfectly straight aws, but it is obvious that these aws can be variously shaped to accord with the design of any particular column.

Thus it will be seen that I provide an improved molding apparatus which entirely obviates the necessity of employing the stove bolts or similar fastening devices which, prior to my invention, were inserted through the flanges of the mold, and which were so troublesome and unsatisfactory under the old method of doing this kind of work. My invention tends, therefore, to reduce the cost of building construction.

As shown, each clamp has the jaws thereof connected together at their opposite ends, the construction shown in Fig. 8, for example, being simply duplicated at the'opposite end of the jaws. It will be understood, I

however, that as many of these connections can be employed between the jaws as are necessary for any'particular length thereof. The eflect of the outwardly bent edge portion a is to prevent the said jaws from slipping off while the mold is in use. I What I claim as my invention is I 1. A molding apparatus of the class set forth, embodying mold sections having outas many of the said clamps are meeting edges" apart be wardly extending flexible sheet metal flanges at their meeting edges, the outer face of these flanges being shaped to form channels extending along the flanges, and a series of clamping devices connecting said channel flanges at intervals, each of these devices consisting of a pair of elongated clamping bars slidably engaging the channels, each pair of said bars carrying means for removably clamping them upon said flanges at any desired point. i

2. A molding apparatus of the class set forth, embodying mold sections having outwardly extending flexible sheet metal flanges at their meeting edges, the outer face of these flanges being shaped to form channels extending along the flanges, and a series of clamping devices connecting said channel flanges at intervals, each of these devices consisting of a pair of elongated clamping bars slidably engaging the channels, each pair of said bars carrying means for removably clamping them upon said flanges at any desired point, said means including a plurality of separately adjustable connections between the members of each pair of bars.

3. A molding apparatus of the class set forth, embodying mold sections having outwardly extending flexible sheet metal flanges at their meeting edges, the outer face of these flanges being shaped to form channels extending along the flanges, and a se ries of clamping devices connecting said channel flanges at intervals, each of these devices consisting of a pair of elongated clamping bars slidably engaging the channels, each pair of said bars carrying means for removably clamping them upon said flanges at any desired point, said means including arms rigid with said bars, and a plurality of separately adjustable connections between said arms.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois. I

v ADOLOR I-IAMEL. Witnesses:

S. LEWIS, v R. KEARNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

